Three LED lighting-related technologies selected for the 2020 "Science and Technology Innovation China" Pioneer Technology List

On January 18, 2021, the China Association for Science and Technology released the 2020 "Science and Technology Innovation China" Pioneer Technology List at its annual work conference.

The list focuses on the five "Science and Technology Innovation China" pilot cities (parks) in the fields of electronic information, biomedicine, advanced materials, equipment manufacturing, and resources and environment, where demand is most concentrated and urgent. It selects 50 technological achievements that represent the cutting edge, achieve major technological breakthroughs, have visible business models, and possess huge commercial potential. These technological achievements have reached a certain level of maturity and passed early validation, meeting the conditions for technology transfer.

"High Luminous Efficacy Yellow LED Materials and Chip Manufacturing Technology", "High-Performance Phosphor for Full-Spectrum High Color Rendering LED Lighting and Its Applications", and "Key Technologies for the Industrialization of Fully Intelligent Plant Factories" were selected for the 2020 "Science and Technology Innovation China" Pioneer Technology List.

High Luminous Efficacy Yellow LED Materials and Chip Manufacturing Technology

The National Silicon-based LED Engineering Technology Research Center at Nanchang University has achieved a historic breakthrough through collaborative innovation in equipment and processes. It independently developed the high-end MOCVD equipment, a major scientific facility with proprietary intellectual property rights, and grew third-generation semiconductor InGaN yellow LED materials on silicon substrates, increasing the luminous efficacy of yellow LEDs to 27.9%. This technology ends the long-standing lack of high-efficacy yellow LEDs in the international market. Its technical indicators far exceed those of same-color-temperature light sources achieved via phosphor-based technology routes, solving the problems of low luminous efficacy, significant lumen depreciation, and insufficient color rendering associated with ultra-low color temperature light sources produced by LED phosphor technology. It opens up new directions for healthy lighting, offering broad application value and promising market prospects.

High-Performance Phosphor and Applications for Full-Spectrum High-CRI LED Lighting

GRINM Rare Earth New Materials Co., Ltd. has developed high-performance phosphors for full-spectrum, high-color-rendering LED lighting and invented related preparation technologies. The performance of the prepared phosphors, including luminous efficacy, particle size, and morphology, has reached a leading level in China. Key performance indicators of the developed products, such as luminous efficacy, particle size, and morphology, have also reached a leading level domestically. The manufactured full-spectrum LED devices are on par with international counterparts. The innovative achievements in materials and application technologies involved in the invented preparation technologies have broken the market monopoly of foreign companies in China, providing core raw material guarantees for downstream enterprises and saving significant costs. This has promoted the iterative upgrade of white LED phosphor technology and the sustained healthy development of China's semiconductor lighting industry.

Key Technologies for the Industrialization of Fully Intelligent Plant Factories

Addressing the "chokepoint" issues across the entire industry / supply chain—including fully intelligent plant factory equipment, cultivation, and environmental control—the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences independently developed a modular integrated cultivation system. It built the world's first fully automated production system for plant factories, developed over 80 specialized light recipes tailored to the growth and development of different plants, and created more than 100 horticultural lighting fixtures across 5 major types. Additionally, it formulated 6 types of specialized nutrient solutions for plants and overcame environmental control challenges related to uniformity within facilities. The institute exclusively provides system solutions for the construction of ultra-large-scale plant factories, with industrialization levels and scale leading globally. This technology is of great significance for accelerating the rapid development and industrialization of plant factories, securing a leading position in the international plant factory sector, facilitating the transformation of China's modern agricultural technology, resolving conflicts between population and resources, and ensuring national food security and strategic needs.

It is reported that the China Association for Science and Technology is an important force in promoting the development of science and technology in China. The "Science and Technology Innovation China" series of lists aims to stimulate cross-boundary cooperation driven by innovation and build high-quality development driven by scientific and technological innovation. By promoting a batch of pioneering technologies, emerging enterprises, and industry-academia-research integration organizations, it continuously promotes the conversion and implementation of selected technologies and related resources from the list in pilot cities (parks) of "Science and Technology Innovation China", radiating and driving industrial and economic development in larger regions, accelerating scientific and technological innovation, solving economic problems, serving social development, and demonstrating the value of science and technology.

The entire review process strictly followed the requirements for recommending academician candidates. All participants in the review strictly adhered to confidentiality regulations and recusal policies. The lists of shortlisted candidates and final evaluation nominees, as well as the lists of nominating and reviewing experts, were all reviewed and approved by the Office of the Leading Group for the Integration of Science, Technology, and Economy under the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST). The review results were examined and confirmed by the Secretariat Meeting of CAST.